Aussie Painting Contractor July 2015

A professional mishap...

With a trolley called John!

A very distressing Paint job!

Creating gems from old furniture

The Anti-bucket List Making meaningful, the right here and now

Davo’s Man Therapy Beyond Blue’s new Men’s Health campaign

Worldskills International, Sao Paulo 2015 The countdown is on!

www.aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au

From the Editor Hi all, Well another financial year is done and dusted. There have been a number of major changes in our industry across many states that has prompted action from interested parties.

As you’ll know, NSW dispensed with licensing from the start of 2015, for the most part. Aussie Painters Network has been working with the National Institute of Painting & Decorating to raise awareness of the impact of such a decision, and to keep you up to date with what is happening with the dumbing down of painting licenses nationally.

Victoria is currently having their scheduled 10 year construction industry review; a key opportunity to present to government bodies the industry view, which National Painters and Decorators have been doing.

And now in Queensland, the QBCC have changed the contractual obligations of painters (see page 6). As of July 1 2015, a two tiered contract system (for jobs under and over 20K) will come into effect, which potentially makes contracts more onerous for painters. The good news is that Aussie Painters Network has you prepared! We have already enlisted the assistance of Dundas Lawyers to establish the required contract pads to cover all of the latest legislation and construction industry changes. The contracts are expected to be ready for our Members to purchase at a very reasonable cost, by the end of July. Make sure you have compliant contracts when painting in Qld!

EDITOR Nigel Gorman EXECUTIVE EDITOR Caroline Miall CONTRIBUTORS • Caroline Miall • Daniel Wurm • Jack Josephsen • Jim Baker • Justin Barlow • Leo Babauta • Monroe Porter • Nigel Gorman

This month we have a new contributor telling us of some fun she had early in her painting career, you might remember Sonia from her doing ‘Shave for a Cure’ a couple of months ago. We loved her hysterical anecdote. Enjoy her story ‘A Trolley Called John’.

• Robert Bauman

If you have a story you would like to share like Sonia, let us know; you might appear in the next magazine!

GRAPHIC DESIGNER J. Anne Delgado

Nigel Gorman

nigel@aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au

07 3555 8010

• Sonia Venn

Contents Page 06

Page 09 Page 10

Page 12

Page 15

Page 16 Page 21 Page 22

Page 25

Page 27 Page 28 Page 30

Page 32 Page 36 Page 38 Page 41

Page 42 Page 46 Page 48 Page 49

Sweeping Changes to building contracts in Queensland The Anti-Bucket List “DAVO’S MAN THERAPY” Beyond Blue’s Men’s Mental Health campaign, looking out for our tradies Countdown for WorldSkills São Paulo 2015 BUSY at Work and MAS National announce national alliance A Very Distressing Paint Job A Trolley Called John Knowing your Balance Sheet is HIGHLY PROFITABLE The Delightfully Short Guide to READING More Books Wall Art Meets Literature!

Hipster Painters & Artisan Paints Metalic Epoxies the smiling contractors!

Houses of the French Countryside Competition Renos and Lead Paint Issues EPA - Old Lead Paint World Suicide Prevention Day Fly the Flag for MIC Most Common Sales Misconception Australia’s Top Paint Stores Announced Industry Idiots Important Contacts

Opinions and viewpoints expressed in the Aussie Painting Contractor Magazine do not necessarily represent those of the editor, staff or publisher or any Aussie Painters Network’s staff or related parties. The publisher, Aussie Painters Network and Aussie Painting Contractor Magazine personnel are not liable for any mistake, misprint or omission. Information contained in the Aussie Painting Contractor Magazine is intended to inform and illustrate and should not be taken as financial, legal or accounting advice. You should seek professional advice before making business related decisions. We are not liable for any losses you may incur directly or indirectly as a result of reading Aussie Painting Contractor Magazine. Reproduction of any material or contents of the magazine without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited.

Just - In Hi Good people, 2015 is the year when Worldskills Australia hold all of their regional competitions around Australia in order to identify our best apprentices and trainees from around the country. What is Worldskills? Worldskills is an equivalent to the Olympics but it is a competition for trade areas and trainee vocations.

Just like the Olympics, regional competitions are conducted to find the best apprentice’s and trainees in Australia. Once the best competitors are identified at this level, the highest scoring apprentices and Trainees in each State and Territory will be granted an opportunity to compete at an Australian National Competition.

Regional competitions are generally an 8 hour event for entrants to demonstrate key skills and knowledge in their respective field of expertise.

A non for profit organisation providing a world of opportunity, Worldskills rely heavily on government and Industry support. Whilst continuing Government financial support is paramount for Worldskills Australia to continue for our young skilled employees, Industry contributions across many sectors are vital to run both regional and national competitions; including donations of materials, tools and equipment. When you stop and think about every trade and the scope of tools, materials and equipment required to exhibit the breadth of each respective areas of expertise‌ the overall cost must be simply phenomenal!

This is a real opportunity for employers, apprentices, trainers and Registered Training Organisations to showcase the time, effort and passion they have invested into quality training.

If a competitor of the requisite age wins a Gold Medal at the Australian WorldSkills Competition they will become a Skillaroo representing Australia on the international stage.

I encourage all apprentices, employees and Registered Training Orgnisations and industry organisations to support your local regional Worldskills Australia Competitions. If you have any further inquiries please visit the www.worldskillsaustralia.com.au for contact details and information regarding local regional competitions.

Best of luck to all those who are about to compete in Brazil in August!

Justin Barlow 07 3555 8010 / 0433 724 794 justin@aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au

SWEEPING CHANGES

to building contracts in Queensland Up to now, painters working in Queensland have been required by law to comply with a number of complex obligations for any domestic jobs valued over $3,300.

But this all changes from 1 July 2015 when amendments included in the Queensland Building and Construction Commission and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2014 come into effect.

Two major changes are the repeal (cancelation) of the Domestic Building Contracts Act 2000 (DBCA), with domestic building contracts to be regulated under the Queensland Building and Construction Commission Act 1991 (QBCC Act), and new rules introduced in Schedule 1B to the QBCC Act.

What does this mean for painters?

A number of new provisions have been established, however the key concepts affecting painters are summarised as follows:

1. Level 1 and Level 2 Regulated Contracts

• Contracts have been divided into two tiers based on the monetary value of the domestic building work being performed.

Level 1: for regulated contracts worth more than $3,300 but less than $20,000 (inc. GST); and Level 2: for regulated contracts worth $20,000 or more (inc. GST).

• Less complicated and less onerous obligations apply to Level 1 contracts. o Level 1 contracts must comply with the basic requirements for domestic building contracts, including the identification of the parties’ details, the contractor’s licence number, any plans and specifications pertaining to the work, contract price, date for completion and a ‘cooling off period’ notice. o The requirement to give customers a “Contract Information Statement” or similar document has been abolished for Level 1 contracts.

• Level 2 contracts must comply with additional requirements, for example: o A new ‘Consumer Building Guide’ (a two page

6 | Aussie Painters Network

document produced by the QBCC) must be given to the customer. o Level 2 contracts must state the statutory warranties applicable to the work. o If the contract price can be changed, the contract must include prominent warnings on the first page of the contract schedule.

2. New provisions affecting both levels

• There are new provisions in relation to deposits with the maximum deposit that can be sought for a Level 1 contract being 10%, and 5% for Level 2 contracts. If more than 50% of the work involves works performed off site then the maximum deposit can be 20%.

• Both Level 1 and Level 2 regulated contracts must be in written form, dated and signed by both parties to have effect. That is, the contract will not be binding nor enforceable by any party until this requirement is met.

Non-compliance with the other formal requirements is an offence and the painting contractor is not permitted to commence work until they have complied.

• Contracts must include ‘a conspicuous notice’ advising the building owner about their cooling-off rights under the new rules. Importantly, contracts which were drafted to comply with the old rules (i.e. the DBCA) may not meet this requirement.

• If a customer cools-off, the builder can withhold from the deposit (or recover from the customer as a debt) any out-of-pocket expenses reasonably incurred before termination, plus $100.

New Level 1 contracts available

To assist painters make the transition to the new provisions, Dundas Lawyers has drafted a standard Level 1 regulated contract with instructions on how to complete it. Produced in carbon-paper pads with multiple contracts, these will soon be available for members to purchase from the Aussie Painters Network.

Please contact Simon Clayer at Dundas Lawyers on 07 3221 0013 or sclayer@dundslawyers.com.au.

www.dundslawyers.com.au

2015 July Issue | 7

from $45.00 2015 July Issue | 8

The Anti-Bucket List Have you ever made a bucket list? For me, they’re incredibly seductive — I love reading other people’s bucket lists, and making my own.

But here’s what happens when you make a bucket list:

1. You put this huge burden on yourself to get the list accomplished. As if we don’t already have enough on our to do lists already!

2. If you don’t do well at pursuing the things on the list, you feel guilty or underaccomplished.

3. If you do well at pursuing the list, you are probably pursuing less-than-meaningful activities. They’re usually just there because they sounded cool to do.

The truth is, most of the things we put on bucket lists are just ideas that popped into our heads, not anything connected to meaning. We put things like “skydiving” and “learn to surf” and “visit the Amazon rainforest” and “kiss in the rain”— all of which are excellent activities … but we rarely put things like, “change someone’s life” or “find meaningful work that I care about” or “be compassionate toward my family”.

Why put pressure on ourselves to achieve a huge list of things that aren’t that meaningful? Why feel guilty if we’re not pursuing them? Why not let them go?

Life isn’t a big todo list, nor is it about optimizing all the things we do in life.

The most amazing things are right in front of us, right where we are. Right now. We don’t have to go anywhere or see some incredible sights or do daring activities to experience the wonder of life.

And we can do meaningful work, right where we are.

What would a shorter list of meaningful activities look like? What would your anti-bucket list contain?

And if you don’t know what’s meaningful to you … isn’t that what you should be pursuing instead of a bucket list?

Leo Babauta, a successful ‘simplicity’ blogger &

author from California, is the creator of top 25 Blog, Zen Habits, chronicling his insights from acting significant changes in his personal and working life.

2015 July Issue | 9

“DAVO’S MAN THERAPY” Beyond Blue’s Men’s Mental Health campaign, looking out for our tradies Nearly a third of men who are ‘blue-collar’ workers wouldn’t know what to do if they were struggling with depression or anxiety, more than a quarter believe that men with these conditions are seen as soft and many think seeking help is a sign of weakness.

These troubling findings are contained in a new survey snapshot by global marketing company TNS and reveal that harmful concepts of masculinity are affecting the mental health of these men.

Now, beyondblue will tackle these attitudes with a revamped campaign that brings humour to a serious issue and shows ‘blue-collar’ men that feeling down is nothing to be ashamed of and that support is readily available.

Davo’s Man Therapy will introduce Australia to a new mental health champion “Davo”, a larrikin tradie who doesn’t beat around the bush when it comes to mental health.

Davo will star in television, radio and digital ads for six months to direct men to www.mantherapy.org.au/ davo where they can measure their distress levels, get answers to frequently asked questions and advice on how to tackle depression or anxiety. The campaign follows the launch two years ago of beyondblue’s successful Man Therapy, which used another fictional character, Dr Brian Ironwood, to promote good mental health to men.

The TNS survey engaged 300 ‘blue-collar’ men and is downloadable HERE. It also found that while 86% of respondents believe talking about mental health is important, and 85% believe others should speak to a GP if they’re struggling, only 49% would do this themselves, indicating a gap between what men know should be done and what they would actually do. Other survey findings include: • only 54% of respondents agree that men with depression or anxiety are “just like the rest of us” and only a third believe these men are seen as trustworthy • around a third don’t feel well-informed about the signs and symptoms of depression and anxiety - 28%

10 | Aussie Painters Network

would turn to alcohol if they started experiencing the signs and symptoms of depression or anxiety while 54% felt that less stigma in the community would make it easier to seek help • 31% don’t feel that they have people in their life they can talk to about their mental health issues.

Beyondblue Chairman The Hon. Jeff Kennett AC said: “We’ve created Davo to help tradies and other men who don’t work in offices recognise the signs and symptoms of depression and anxiety, and to guide them to support. Men owe it to themselves and their loved ones to be as healthy as they can be, and Davo will help them do that. This is a funny, cheeky and attention-grabbing campaign that will have a big impact.” beyondblue CEO Georgie Harman said: “Man Therapy has been very successful. Nearly half of Australian men were exposed to it and a third of those visited a GP soon after seeing it. But our evaluation of its impact showed more could be done to target ‘blue-collar’ men, so we’ve adopted a fresh approach and created Davo.

“Nearly 2000 men die by suicide each year in Australia, triple the number of women and almost double the amount of men killed on our roads. This is fuelled by men’s reluctance to get help. The TNS report shows most men understand the importance of talking about mental health. Now we must encourage men to take action for themselves, and Davo is just the man to help us do that. I would also like to thank the Australian Government’s Department of Health for funding this campaign.”

Do you like working outside? Wouldn’t it be good to be out in an office or not on the same site 48 weeks of the year?!

With today’s apprenticeships you can even do your theory without going into a classroom situation by enrolling in the E-Learning course so you do all your theory part of an apprenticeship in front of a computer.

The videos show how the new method of online learning for the theory component of Painting and Decorating Trade can give employers more flexibility when it comes to training.

11 | Aussie Painters Network

Countdown for WorldSkills

São Paulo 2015 It’s just over a month until the world’s largest professional education and skills excellence event, WorldSkills São Paulo 2015, the 43rd WorldSkills Competition!

From 11 to 16 August 2015, Anhembi Park will receive 200,000 visitors, one of the largest amount of visitors in the Competition´s history..

Check out some important numbers:

São Paulo, Brazil hosts the greatest vocational education and skills excellence competition in the world in August From 11-16 August 2015, Brazil will host the 43rd WorldSkills Competition, the greatest vocational education and skills excellence competition in the world at Anhembi Park in the city of São Paulo. Approximately 1,200 registered Competitors from 63 countries and regions are expected to participate. They will compete in 50 different skills related to trades, technologies, and service-oriented careers.

WorldSkills São Paulo 2015 will occupy the entire Anhembi Park, including the Exhibition Pavilion, Sambadrome and Convention Palace, a total 213,000 m². This will be the first time in Anhembi´s history, that

12 | Aussie Painters Network

a single event occupies all three areas at the same time.

Approximately 200,000 visitors are expected. This will be the first time that the WorldSkills Competition will be held in South America. Competitors, 22 years or younger, simulate real work challenges that must be completed according to international industry standards.

Competitors demonstrate individual and collective technical skills to perform specific tasks for each of the professional skills. The Competition will be open to the public from 12-15 August.

Another Competition highlight is the One School One Country programme, which aims to demonstrate to local students that professional skills education is a good path for career development, and that it is possible to complete technical courses, simultaneously, after their second high school year. Fifty-five schools in São Paulo will receive Competitors from different countries and regions and have the opportunity to learn more about vocational education and labour market opportunities.

In order to fulfil this purpose, there will be cultural activities promoting information and experience exchanges between Competitors, primary school students (6th to 9th school years) and 12 to 15 year old students in their first year of high school.

The Competition will also have a Visitor Experience project designed to provide a rich experience for visitors, with planned itineraries, guided and educational tours, side events, a Conference Programme and digital platform, among other activities. It is a complete vocational education experience, in a fun and interactive environment.

The digital platform will make it possible for everyone, physically present or not, to have an immersive WorldSkills São Paulo 2015 experience. Technological tools will allow participants to have real-time interactions and social media channels will be constantly updated and focused on public engagement. Other digital surprises will also be available.

One of the main objectives is promoting vocational skills education as a socioeconomic transformation tool. The Conference Programme is important as it will provide an opportunity to exchange best practices, learn from world class experts in skills development, and enable networking among industry, government and education leaders.

The overall theme of the Conference Programme is Inspiring skills excellence and development.

This time, the Competition is organized by the National Service for Industrial Training (SENAI), which is one of the five largest complexes of professional education in the world and WorldSkills International, a global organization with 74 Member countries and regions, promoting skills excellence and development in vocational, technological and service oriented careers around the globe.

At Anhembi Park, Cyber will also be a highlight, as the 500m² area will have food trucks, a new food trend in Brazil, as well as interactive activities, educational games, and a relaxing area..

“Brazil´s opportunity to host such a complex event certainly demonstrates the importance of vocational education and training for important stakeholders in the national market, at a corporate and government level.

The fact that Brazil will host the greatest vocational education and skills excellence Competition in the world, and the greatest in the history of WorldSkills, is very relevant,“ states Frederico Lamego, CEO of WorldSkills São Paulo 2015.

Phone: 03 9249 1000 Fax: 03 9249 1033 Email: info@worldskills.org.au

• • • • • • • for more details, visit our website!

www.paintershrpolicies.com

2015 July Issue | 13

2015 July Issue | 14

BUSY at Work and MAS National announce national alliance.

MAS National and BUSY At Work are delighted to announce a national partnership to provide Australian Apprenticeship Support Network services to interstate employers across Australia.

The ‘Making Apprenticeships Work’ Alliance is a network of passionate and knowledgeable industry professionals who make the Australian Apprenticeships registration process easy for national employers.

BUSY At Work CEO Paul Miles said he was proud to be working with MAS National. “MAS National is a very experienced Apprenticeships Provider and has likeminded values as BUSY specialising in the administration and support services of apprenticeships and traineeships with a focus on retention and completion.

“BUSY At Work and MAS National are two of the few organisations to have provided these type of services since their inception in 1998. Both organisations are contracted by the Australian Government to provide Australian Apprenticeship support services in their allocated states.

A key priority in this national service will be effective job matching and ongoing support of apprentices and companies to improve apprenticeship completion rates.

“This collaborative approach was developed in partnership with MAS National over the last two years which gives both organisations the ability to streamline our services across Australia,” Mr Miles said.

The MAS National CEO, Poul Bottern said “This national alliance allows BUSY and MAS to provide the best customer service to multi state and multi venue employers, with the benefit of local expertise for managing apprentices and trainees, through a single point of contact.

“Employers can now utilise shared tools such as our Air CV system, ApprenticeshipsCentral.com.au and the CareerMe App”.

“We are confident that employers will benefit from the streamlined, quality focused approach being implemented through this national alliance,” said Mr Bottern.

Leanne Macnamara Public Relations Coordinator – BUSY At Work 0438 173 960 leanne.macnamara@busyatwork.com.au Lisa Embling, Executive Manager Marketing & Communications – MAS National 0408 391 541 lisa.embling@intowork.com.au

2015 July Issue | 15

A VERY DISTRESSING

Paint Job! When you rely on exercising your ‘creative gene’ to keep your sanity in this crazy modern world, you might find, like I have, that it can lead to a lot of hobbies and diversions from the mundane. Mine are necessarily thrifty, due to all our money going back into bringing you our beloved Aussie Painter Network… ;-) So, recently, I’ve been teaching myself how to reinvent, upcycle or restore old discarded furniture.

I’ve always loved to breathe new life into old things, as I’m sure I’ve written about before. There is something about the quality and workmanship that we see so little of now, that just warms my heart. The skill and care that went into some of the items of bygone eras sees them survive well beyond their day, which is why I love to rescue them when I see them being discarded anyway! I love the classic lines and simplicity, or the embellishments, and the uniqueness and quality; art nouveau, Deco, eras that tell of war and austerity or lavish lux. Beauties that tell a story of many a home, or just the long history of one. The popularity of Shabby Chic and Retro interior design has made it easy to make a real gem out of items that seem of little value. So begins my new journey with rejuvenating old furniture, for fun and profit!

How Distressing!

Many are looking for bespoke and unique styles for their homes; the look you can’t easily get from the shops, without spending a fortune on antiques or designer pieces. To create a stand out feature in the home that looks like it’s been passed down for generations, Distressing is a great way to create the vintage, one of a kind look. The finish is deliberately blemished and manipulated to look less than perfect, by sanding or scraping or even crazing. Often paint is applied in multiple colours to sand back, exposing the contrasting colours and timber. To seal there are waxes, or coloured glazes give the item a lovely ‘patina’ – that polished, aged and oxidised surface effect, that give it age an authentic aged look. These work particularly well with carved detail, frames and borders in old timber furniture.

16 | Aussie Painters Network

We are so lucky nowadays, that if we want to find out something, or learn a new skill, the internet is your friend! You can find simple instructional videos on youtube for just about anything you can think of. And the best thing about this sort of project? You really can’t stuff it up! It’s a very inexact art, and some of the best results can come from your mistakes. I’ve heard of people distressing furniture with chains! And if you don’t like a finish or colour, you just go over it. Don’t like the next one? Sand a heap back to reveal its layers. If you’re using reclaimed items you have absolutely nothing to lose anyway. And given your resources as painters, your paint cost is likely to be negligible!

So, I discovered different paints with a chalky texture, made for their ability to adhere to any surface and the distinct satiny finish they enable. My local hardware painting-guru chic showed me a way to make my own version. These give satiny, ‘worn in’ finishes, that sand back nicely to produce a lovely rustic affect. There are no limits to what can be done for a huge range of looks. Great for experimenting. So much fun, and amazing results.

Continue to Page 19...

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Trace MY Business Written and Developed by Jim Baker

Trace My Business will keep a record of ALL your clients.

It collects the basic information like their contact details, job description and client notes but the beauty of this program is that it also tracks

• Where the referral came from • The quote success and failure rates • Suburb comparisons • The different advertising campaigns (what works and what doesn’t)

• First projects vs repeat business • New vs existing revenue and projects • Yearly and overall client revenue • Growth analysis • Projects, who referred them, and the referrals they subsequently provided

This is a brand new online product and like my other programmes, it is accessible on any computer or smart phone just by using your email address and password.

I am offering this to you on a 90 day ‘Trial Before You Commit’ price of $1.00. After the trial period and you like the product, the cost on a monthly subscription will only be $16.90.

So for the low cost of $16.90 a month, you will be able to access all your clients and where they found you, monitor what advertising campaigns are working and what are not, but best of all, have these records available to a new purchaser when you want to sell your business.

www.mytools4business.com/tracemybusiness 18 | Aussie Painters Network

This pursuit has also come as a necessity so that I can justify the collection of all of the items I’d stockpiled in my little garden shed. First up a couple of groovy shaped pine kitchen chairs. They looked unlike anything I’ve seen in Ikea or Amart, and they’re sturdy, so I was happy to give them some time and attention.

Shabby Chic has encouraged wonderful mis-matched sets of kitchen chairs as a design feature, so these are a popular feature item.

To Farmhouse antiques!

To Farmhouse antiques!

Originally varnished wood, I undercoated this chair with white, then painted with turquoise; a very popular feature colour right now, adding pops of colour to neutral pallettes. The multiple layers create a lovely patina, which is very sought after look and often now re-created in new mass produced items.

One thing One thing that painters would understand is the impact of renewal and restoration, and the satisfaction of seeing something old and tired being revitalised by paint and faux finishes. Obviously a lot of you would rather not spend their spare time painting things too! So maybe this is something for your better half to take up!

What a great way to get through that left over paint from your last job!

Hometalk.com

Caroline Miall caroline@aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au 2015 July Issue | 19

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20 | Aussie Painters Network

A Trolley Called John

My first independent job as a painter was maintenance person in an office building. You know the kind of thing, recoat scuffed walls, invisible repairs to reception furniture, crawling around under desks while their worker bee occupants complained about the smell. Walls went up, work spaces were adjusted, walls came down, and in between I was the one popping on a coat of paint or two.

Aiding and abetting me in this pastime was my trusty trolley, John.

Now John wasn’t very good at corners or stairs but he had four solid wheels and he was bloody good at carrying those 20 litre paint tins from office to office where I would decant and get rolling. These days 20 litre tins have been outlawed and being a fair bit older (I’m a woman, don’t even think of asking) I decant four litre tins before ever they leave the truck.

Having John meant I didn’t have to spend an hour a day at the gym training for my unintentional sport of weightlifting. John travelled up in the lift with me, laden to the gills and back down again a little less laden.

At the end of a tiring week toting three tins of colour and a variety of bits and pieces we entered the lift together heading for the basement where, at the end of each day, my trolley load would be stored. Tired and

with both hands full I prodded John out between the lift doors with my toe and jumped out behind him.

Then I watched with a growing sense of disaster as the lift doors closed in response to a call from a floor above and ever so gently caught the knotted tow rope trailing behind my helpful friend.

Gear crashed everywhere while I leapt to the rescue of anything spillable, and just in the nick of time, as my granny would say, for a few short seconds later I watched with my mouth open as the trolley was drawn up by its rope. Waiting, startled, to see where it would end up.

The lift followed its natural course and jammed between floors. Alarms sounded near and far and the building manager and security guy were briskly on the scene. Having dissolved into laughter I nevertheless managed to stifle it for long enough to look contrite and apologise.

It was a new and interesting experience and went a long way to make up for an otherwise lackluster week at the office.

Sonia Venn soniavenn53@hotmail.com 2015 July Issue | 21

Knowing your Balance Sheet is

HIGHLY PROFITABLE

Do your eyes start to glaze over when you hear people talk about business numbers, profit and loss statements, balance sheet, margins & net profit? Most business owners like you are just interested in the bottom line and to make a good profit.

What if I told you that you can easily increase your bottom line by paying regular attention to your business numbers, which will in turn lead to increasing your cashflow. So how can you use your business numbers in practice to make them work for you?

For starters, there is a wealth of information you can get from your balance sheet. It typically includes data on how your debtors and creditors are performing. It shows whether your clients have paid you on time and how you’re going with paying your provider invoices. It shows asset values and their depreciation schedule. If you find that there is only a small amount left on the depreciation schedule this knowledge could prompt you to invest in equipment replacement earlier, which would minimise your taxable income right there. The time is especially good for this right now with the incentive package for small business that the Government has included in the budget it just handed down for 2015-16.

Good financial administration and good record keeping in any business is not just a requirement by the ATO, it’s also one of the best tools for you, the business owner, to keep your cashflow positive.

When you start reviewing your balance sheet and numbers every week, you’ll find out which debtors need a follow up. Actively managing your outstanding debts through weekly balance sheet reviews is easy when you use a system including standard reminder letters and other processes, if necessary, to encourage your customers to pay their outstanding invoices. The critical point here is that through regular reviews of your balance sheet you’ll be able to identify problem areas before they become unmanageable and put your business into negative cashflow.

22 | Aussie Painters Network

You’ll also want to review your bank account statements regularly, especially credit card statements. The other thing you would want to review regularly is how much and when you owe the taxman GST and PAYG payables. Keeping your finger on the pulse of upcoming expenditure throughout the year will also open up further opportunities to save on tax, as you can take advantage of reducing your taxable income legally.

For a complete debt management system including templates, you can visit the Resource Centre on our website www.adhamilton.com.au, where you can download our free eBook “Company Finances and Debt Collection”.

Please Note: Many of the comments in this article are general in nature and anyone intending to apply the information to practical circumstances should seek professional advice to independently verify their interpretation and the information’s applicability to their particular circumstances.

A D Hamilton & Associates www.adhamilton.com.au Copyright © 2015 Robert Bauman

2015 July Issue | 23

Looking for improvements in your business? “How To Become AReally Successful Painter� can really help you.

A copy of my book is available online jimbaker@notjustapainter.com.au

Watch Business Management for Painters http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OczJfZH8M4I

How much does your business need to earn to cover its expenses?

24 | Aussie Painters Network

www.mytools4business.com/myhourlyratecalculator

The Delightfully Short Guide to

READING

Have you ever wished you read more? I used to read a lot, I’d plough through a book when I relied on public transport and had time to kill, or when I had to for uni. Then it was just before sleep. Since kids came along, I would fall asleep before getting through a page. With so many demands upon is, children, jobs, and technology diverting our attention, I am guessing I’m not the only one whose fallen out of the habit lately. I am yet to make friends with the Kindle, or e-readers, which seem to have kept many of my friends in their book habit, (however it should be noted that these can be too stimulating for the brain, reading prior to sleep – something to note particularly with children’s reading). With the incredible array of possibilities found in a book, we should all strive to be better read, even if it is just to model the behaviour for our kids. So, I thought I’d share this post from Leo Babauta, in case like me you would like to make reading more a part of your world. Some great ideas to get it happening.

I have to admit, reading online has dropped my book reading in the last couple of years. It’s hard to resist the pull of clickbait titles and fascinating longform articles.

But a few small habits have changed that for me, and I’m now reading books more. I’m now reading Don Quixote (such as awesome book!), and recently finished War and Peace, Madame Bovary, Musashi and The Goldfinch. I recommend all of them.

Let’s take a brief look at what has helped me read more:

1. Create reading triggers. Tie your new reading habit to different triggers throughout your day. For me, that has been 1) reading after I stretch and meditate, first thing in the morning, 2) reading when I eat breakfast, lunch and dinner, and 3) reading as I go to bed. That’s five triggers a day, and at four pages per session (or so), that’s about 20 pages per day. At that rate, it’ll take me about 45 days to read Don Quixote. Other ideas for triggers: commute on a train or bus, using the bathroom, breaks at work, every time you want to check your email.

More Books

2. Enjoy the reading. Don’t look at reading books like a chore that you have to rush through to get to more urgent things. If you do, you’ll stop reading. Instead, look at the reading sessions as a treat, a spa break in the rush of your day. Let yourself become immersed in the world of the book, and let the new experience transform you, give you new perspectives, see things from fresh eyes.

3. Only read books you enjoy. This is a corollary of the item above, but try to choose books that sound delicious to you. If you’re bored with a book after a few days (give it a chance), drop it. There’s no virtue in plodding through a book you dislike. It’ll just turn you off from reading.

4. Always bring your book. Wherever you go, bring your book. I recently read a lot when I was waiting by my dad’s side at the hospital, but I also find times when I’m on a train, in a waiting room, or in line, and those are golden opportunities to read. I should note that I’m now reading paper books, because I find it a better way to read long books, but the Kindle or other ebook devices are also great (especially because of their built-in dictionaries).

5. Use a closet. It should go without saying, but I’ll say it anyway: close your devices when you read. Their notifications and such will just distract you. If you have to, put your phone and laptop in a different room, in a closet, under the piles of stuff you’ve been wanting to declutter.

Enjoy your books, my friends. Also on my reading list for this year: Ulysses, Infinite Jest, The Divine Comedy, and In Search of Lost Time.

Leo Babauta, a successful ‘simplicity’ blogger &

author from California, is the creator of top 25 Blog, Zen Habits, chronicling his insights from acting significant changes in his personal and working life.

2015 July Issue | 25

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26 | Aussie Painters Network

Wall Art Meets

Literature!

Peter Pan

MGB Haynes Manual Seems to be a theme developing in this issue… While on the topic of books, we thought this was amazing! With the popularity of wallpaper art, wall photographs, and trompe l’oeil experiencing a surge in popularity, book buffs can get their favourite tomes onto their walls! Love a particular story or classic? Brilliantly named “Spineless Classics” is an ingenious new design option to go on your wall. You can get a favourite book, or classic, in its entirety, in pictorial format, on a poster! I looked at these pictures for a long time, finding it hard to believe they could do this. I think this would make great bespoke wallpapering idea too, which could be read easily at kid’s bedtime!

The concept was created and launched in England in 2007 by Carl Pappenheim. After seeing a fine detailed architectural drawing being printed at his friend’s studio, he wondered if he could fit an entire novel, printed small enough on a large enough sheet, onto a single page. He could, and he did, and Spineless Classics was born!

www.spinelessclassics.com.au

Harry Potter 2015 July Issue | 27

Hipster Painters & Artisan Paints

In case you haven’t realised, the hipster movement is taking the world by storm. What exactly is the hipster movement?

According to the urban dictionary, “Hipsters are a subculture of men and women typically in their 20’s and 30’s that value independent thinking, counter-culture, progressive politics, an appreciation of art and indierock, creativity, intelligence, and witty banter. . .Although “hipsterism” is really a state of mind,it is also often intertwined with distinct fashion sensibilities.”

In Australia, the largest concentration of hipsters is in inner city Melbourne, Sydney, Bondi Beach, Fremantle, and Byron Bay, but hipsters can be found anywhere there is good coffee, and boutique beers.

One of the trademarks of being a hipster is a return to the ‘hand-made’, ‘authentic’, more ‘traditional’ way of making things and doing things. This thinking can even be found in the painting community. Young, cool painters

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aren’t content to use well-known mass-produced big label brands; they want to know what is in the paint they are using, who made it, where it was made, etc; and they want to be able to create beautiful finishes using traditional or cutting edge methods. They want to be artisans, not just tradies.

This has led to the popularity of smaller boutique brands, such as Rockcote, BIO Paints, FX Australia, Murobond, Mythic and Ecolour. These brands are all zero-VOC, and allow the artisan to create beautiful patterns and effects that cannot be achieved with the big brands.

Mat White from Mat White Painting in Melbourne operates a painting business, and is an Accredited GreenPainter. Mat also trained as a professional signwriter. “I’ve seen a massive increase in the number of people asking for hand-written sign-writing, and decorative wall finishes, including murals. It’s definitely a growing market.”

The biggest irony is that hipsters will never admit they are a hipster. So how do you know if you are a hipster painter?

Here are ten tell-tale signs: 1. When everyone is knocking back Coke at smoko, you are sipping on your organic Fair-Trade filtered coffee with almond milk.

2. You grow your own linseed oil 3. You have your woody surfboard strapped to the top of the van, ready for the right swell.

4. You no longer drink XXXX with the boys on a Friday afternoon, but prefer a hoppy boutique ale 5. You know what VOC stands for 6. You ask the rep for a body hugging t-shirt 7. You can use your beard as a sash cutter 8. You spend 50% more on your paint because all your clients have allergies 9. You wear horn-rimmed glasses even when you are spraying the ceiling 10. You can spell ‘Trompe l’oleil’, and you know what a sign-writing brush is Find out more about artisan paints at http://www.greenpainters.org.au/Consumer-Information/Natural-Paints.htm

Daniel Wurm

0402 312 234 SKYPE: daniel-wurm

2015 July Issue | 29

METALLIC EPOXIES

- the smiling contractors!

For a brief change of pace, imagine for a minute you were handed application notes by a manufacturer that included Step 1: Start smiling!

It just so happens that I was reading the instructions on a bottle of calming bath foam (my wife’s by the way) and the usage instructions kicked off with this rather unusual request. I couldn’t help but laugh when considering what sort of reaction the same instruction would get in the typically dour epoxy industry. Everyone would probably think the manufacturer had gone mad!

When I thought about this idea a little further, there’s only ever been one epoxy field I thought could legitimately include smiling as part of the instructions. In fact, I actually saw grown men turn giddy like school kids during a training course I was conducting!

Industrial epoxy contractors weren’t smiling

Before I go into details, I’ll firstly say that I’ve worked with a lot of different contractors over the years, and many were in the ugly end of industrial flooring. I’m talking about aggressive chemicals, horribly corroded concrete and demanding conditions with high-pressure shutdowns. The only time I saw an industrial epoxy contractor come close to a smile during these times was when they got paid for the job. I must say, I didn’t find too much to smile about myself when doing that sort of work!

All this changed when we entered the decorative field and started conducting epoxy training courses for our metallic epoxies. For the first time ever I had contractors hanging on my every word and eager to give absolutely everything a try. I don’t know if it was because they could see themselves doing something other than boring, thankless grey floors or what? Maybe they had some untapped artistic talent buried deep down and this was their chance to finally let it out. Whatever the reason, these guys became genuinely excited and were beaming the whole day.

30 | Aussie Painters Network

Chase your smile!

This experience was a real mind-opener for me personally on the wider topic of job satisfaction and enjoyment. Despite what the industrial field had previously taught me, watching the transformation that came over the participants that day proved there’s no reason why epoxy contractors can’t love what they do as well – it doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom.

In my opinion, the key is to keep learning and keep trying new things. From what I’ve seen in my epoxy training courses, metallic epoxies tend to have a similar effect on everyone and bring out a real creative passion that can border on addictive. Of course, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll be the same for you; you might even love the nitty gritty stuff. The point is, if you’re not smiling with the work you’re currently doing, you’ve simply got to get out there and find a better fit. Who knows, you too might be able to start work every day with a smile.

Note: I’ve converted the same metallic epoxy training course that made these guys so enthusiastic into modules in the Epoxy School shop. If you’re interesting in learning a new skill with metallic epoxies, please take a look.

Jack Josephsen 0408 877 256

4 /1311 Ipswich Rd, Rocklea, Queensland, Australia 4106 1800 355 344 info@aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au

2015 July Issue | 31

Houses of the

French Countryside

Eguisheim, Riquewihr, Ribeaville and Colmar, are places I had never heard of until our recent trip overseas. They are small towns in Alsace, which is on the French/German border, east of Paris. The region is the smallest in France and (because of wars in the past) it has changed nationality five times between 1871 and 1945. These were some of the towns that fascinated my wife and I because of the architecture of the buildings, some of which date back to the 13th century. It truly amazed us how these buildings have stood the test of time, as the angle of some seem to defy gravity. I doubt very much that what we construct today will last 700 hundred years or more!

The base of the buildings, which are around 700mm thick, are built with stone and then cement rendered over. The upper levels consist of timber frames, with the inserts also consisting of stone and then rendered (the stones were later substituted with bricks). The rooves are either slate or timber shingles.

It was mentioned in Colmar that the different colours of the buildings, back in the time of construction, depended on the trade you may have been associated with. For instance, it might have been green if you were a carpenter, red a butcher, pink a black-smith, etc.

style, the timber work was plastered over so as to look like a flush rendered building. In recent years, many of these were brought back to the original state for authenticity. Unfortunately I didn’t come across anyone that had painted one of these as it would have been interesting to find out the procedure and time it would actually take to ‘cut-in’ around the timber frames.

How would you go about it? I can see though it would be a great way of getting rid of all the left over paint as I am quite sure in most cases, they are not off a standard colour chart.

Over the centuries, because of the maintenance and the change in

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2015 July Issue | 33

www.consolidatedi .com.au Phone: +61 7 3292 1100 | Fax: +61 7 3292 1110 Email: contactus@consolidatedi.com.au I just wanted to say a BIG THANK YOU for referring me to Consolidated Insurance Pty Ltd. I spoke to Scott about our Business Insurance and with little time, Scott emailed me back a comprehensive package for our Business and we saved over $1,000.00. Thanks again Aussie Painters Network for the great referral and all your ongoing help.

Sonya Baker www.bakerbrosmasterpainters.com.au

We drove from one side of France to the other, keeping away from the built up cities and concentrating on the smaller, quaint villages in the country. It was interesting to see that all the buildings over 60 years old had lead gutters and downpipes. I wonder if environmentalists have ever taken lead tests of the run-off that actually goes into the storm water drains. They were also in their natural state and left unpainted, even on the newly constructed buildings the gutters and downpipes were made to look like lead left unpainted.

In many of the very small towns the old buildings were left in their natural stone construction and were extremely run-down and not had been maintained.

The only bit of painting actually required on the exterior in most cases are the doors, windows and shutters, and by the look of them, they hadn’t been touched for 30 years or more. I noticed also that many of the old windows had been replaced by double or triple glaze, powder-coated metal windows, so there is even less painting to do.

In the 5,000 kilometres we travelled, I can never help but always be on the lookout for painters and paint vehicles, but this trip they were few and far between.

Maybe because there is only interior painting to be done and the home-owners tend to do it themselves!

This scenario would of course have been very different had we visited the larger towns and cities.

Jim Baker

www.mytools4business.com

2015 July Issue | 35

Competition Renos and Lead Paint Issues As renovation and DIY shows become more and more popular on our prime time television, I often look over to see cringes of horror on the face of the Painter in the house. And not just because of some of the dodgy painting that goes on! These game shows, and magazine style programming often feature a high pressure reno, remodel or redesign that has to happen in no time flat; some ridiculous deadline that I guess makes for compelling viewing. I am exhausted just watching the latest challenges on one of the house makeover competitions. These poor contestants really are pushed beyond breaking point.

So, when they’re under such enormous pressure, what is the first thing to go? Well, often unfortunately it is safety precautions. Whilst it is obvious that safety is paramount on the surface, and producers and super-

visors are behaving appropriately, we still watch in amazement as an old Australian timber home is broken apart, buffed and sanded for renewal, when clearly what is coming off that house is contaminated with lead.. with not a mention of necessary precautions.

The problem with this, is not only the potential hazard for those contestants, but the message sent to viewers, many of whom are frequent DIYers, about the realities and dangers of such a project.

So, to keep this issue at the forefront, we thought it a timely to include in July’s Aussie Painting Contractor, this Lead Paint Fact Sheet.

(With thanks to NSW EPA http://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/ resources/epa/140692-old-lead-paint-fact-sheet.pdf) Can be seen on Page 38.

‘My Costing Guide’ is a fully automated program where all you have to do is add or change the variables and the total price will appear in an instant. It is simple to use and can be personalised to your own business.

36 | Aussie Painters Network

2015 July Issue | 37

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2015 July Issue | 39

The portable, inexpensive method to prevent paint waste-water polluting the environment.

The Mobile PaintWash can also be used for storage when empty, and has no moving parts or expensive filters. It's ideal for the professional painter who cares about the environment and the health of our planet.

Protect your client's garden, and the environment by using the Mobile PaintWash!

Contact GreenPainters for more information: Ph: 1300 319 790

40 | Aussie Painters Network

World Suicide Prevention Day

Fly the Flag for MIC

In 2015, World Suicide Prevention Day is being held on Thursday 10 September. The international theme is Preventing Suicide: Reaching Out and Saving Lives.’

World Suicide Prevention Day is about: • speaking up to reduce the stigma around talking about suicide • standing together to make a positive impact on our mental health and well-being • being informed and aware of the help available to all those touched by suicide • building a resilient community to prevent suicide World Suicide Prevention Day events occur in local communities across Australia and the world.

This year MATES in Construction will be celebrating World Suicide Prevention day through the Fly the Flag for MIC World Suicide Prevention Day campaign.

On Thursday 10 September construction sites, head offices, workplaces and construction camps across Australia will be flying a MATES in Construction flag as part of World Suicide Prevention Day. At toolbox talks, inductions, morning teas and smokos, construction workers will be gathering together to raise awareness of suicide in the construction industry and to pledge to take action to reduce our abnormally high rates of suicide.

With the theme of World Suicide Prevention Day being Preventing Suicide: Reaching Out and Saving Lives, John Brady, Operations Manager with MATES in Construction intends to build a sense of solidarity and community through the fly the flag campaign.

“On this day construction workers across Australia as well as the MIC trekkers on the Kokoda Track will all be sharing the same message,” Mr Brady said.

“The hardest thing for a bloke to do is to ask for help.

We need to change the construction culture so that

asking for help is seen as a strength and not weakness.

It’s by standing together and supporting one another, that construction workers can breakdown the stigma surrounding suicide in our industry,” he said.

“At each gathering, a Connector, ASIST worker or MIC champion will read out a poem written by MATES in Construction Field Officer, Ray Abi-Fares, along with other activities like signing the flag or raising the flag on the site,” Mr Brady said.

“Let’s make it obvious that enough is enough! We have lost too many mates to suicide in our industry and on this day, everyone passing by a construction site will see that as an industry, we are taking a stand against suicide. We are calling upon all construction sites to enrol in the “Fly the MIC Flag for World Suicide Prevention Day campaign” he said.

There will be various sized flags available for sites to fly either from cranes or in their crib huts or from a suitable and safe place on site or in the workplace.

MATES in Construction will provide the flags, all you have to do is enrol to join the Fly the Flag for MIC World Suicide Prevention Day campaign.

This campaign is not just for construction sites with workplaces welcome to take part at morning teas or lunches.

If your site or workplace are interested in participating in the Fly the Flag for MIC World Suicide Prevention Day campaign contact the MATES in Construction office on (07) 3833 1140 or speak with your local field officer.

If you or a co-worker or friend is experiencing any difficulties remember the MIC hotline :

1300 642 111

www.matesinconstruction.org.au

2015 July Issue | 41

Most Common

SALES Misconceptions When one of our customers tells us they have hired the perfect salesperson, it scares the heck out of me. Few people truly understand selling and the stereotypical personality that many people think will make the perfect salesperson; they frequently fail miserably. Frankly, I don’t meet a lot of really good salespeople and selling is a misunderstood skill.

Selling is about trust. People buy from you because they think that you will solve their problem or fulfill their need, not because they technically understand what you do.

Think of a doctor’s visit where the doctor prescribed a prescription to solve an ailment. I doubt you really fully understand what the prescription biologically does in our body but you took it because you trusted the doctor to provide a professional solution. People buy from contractors for the same reason.

Too many people think that the ideal salesperson talks a lot of bull, is extremely extroverted and talks

42 | Aussie Painters Network

people into a decision. You only trust people when they listen to what you have to say, make your feel heard and then provide a heartfelt solution. How can you trust someone who can’t be taken seriously or tries to manipulate people? You can’t. Good salespeople are great listeners, not great talkers. You have two ears and one mouth.

Good salespeople need to use them proportionately.

It was once said that the ideal salesperson was someone who was being tarred and feathered and run out of town, though they were leading a parade. There is no question the extroverted salesperson is willing to talk to people and may not suffer from call reluctance. Motivation can be an important trait but it can be a thin line between motivation and denial. By the law of averages, if you are willing to call on enough people, eventually you may succeed. However, it is much easier to take a more calculated approach and make the process more efficient.

Most of us have been insulted by car salespeople who abuse our intelligence. Unfortunately, the industry is inbred and the boss believes in the same antiquated sales techniques. A friend of mine manages a hotel group and I recently did a sales program for his salespeople.

It was amazing how little anyone knew about sales and how the vast majority of the group had been order takers for years. After thinking about it and being president of a firm that has run hundreds of meetings, I have really never met a really good hotel salesperson.

Frequently, you are better to hire a person who is intelligent, organized and a good listener and teach them your trade and how to sell. Selling is nothing more than good communication. Good salespeople help the customer make an intelligent choice and make it easy for them to choose and buy.

Continue to Page 45...

Find out how it can BENEFIT your business!

www.aussieappstore.com.au 2015 July Issue | 43

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44 | Aussie Painters Network

Too many people think sales training is all about overcoming objections and closing the deal. Really? When was the last time a customer told you no to your face?

I bet rarely. Instead, they don’t return your call or tell you by email. Sales training was dominated by big ticket items such as life insurance, cars and real estate. Far too much emphasis was on closing. Maybe in those industries closing is more important. Let’s say you want me to pay $500 a month on a life insurance policy so that my wife’s second husband won’t have to work.

Sounds like a tough sell to me.

Another sales myth is that people buy from who they like and socialize with. People buy from who they like if they also respect that person and they are competent.

We have all bought something from our brother in law or a buddy who let us down. Someone can like you but if someone else figures out their problem and fulfills their need, you are going to lose the sale.

Ever bid a job you didn’t get? Sure you have. Ever bid a job you didn’t get and someone else bid on different specs and are not going to do the same job? Probably so. It is not your customer’s responsibility to determine the difference between yours and other quotes. It is your responsibility to ask questions, solve the problem and explain your point of difference.

Ever get a job and you were not the low bid? Probably so. So what did the customer tell the other person?

That he or she thought you were more competent than

them? No, the customer said they had another price or went with someone else and you just assumed it was low price. If you think sales is all about the low price, then it probably is going to be.

Business to business sales also represent a challenge for many salespeople. The business to business sales process is about how people buy things and never about the actual job. Yet most estimators and salespeople focus on technical jobs and social issues. It is about politics, your contact’s career and the buying process. You can buy your contact lunch but he or she is not going to lose their job by buying from you if you do not fit into their process. A business customer’s problem may appear to be price but in reality it is rarely the customer’s actual money. It is all about the process.

Rebuild how you envision the sales process and your sales will increase. Most contractors are problem solvers. Focus on solving problems, just make sure you have connected with the customers and fully understand what their problems really are.

Monroe Porter is president of PROOF Management a firm that teaches seminars and runs networking groups for painting contractors. Several Aussie painting contractors travel to the US each year to participate in his programs.

www.proofman.com 2015 July Issue | 45

Australia’s

TOP PAINT STORES

ANNOUNCED

Inspirations Paint is Australia’s largest network of paint stores, supplying one in every six litres of paint to the Australian market. Every two years, Inspirations Paint hosts a National Conference that brings together franchisees and suppliers. This year’s 15th National Conference was held in Queenstown, New Zealand from 17-19 May. One of the most important functions of the Inspirations Paint Conference is to acknowledge the Franchise of the Year Awards and the Supplier of the Year Awards.

The Franchise of the Year Award celebrates and recognises the top paint stores in the country by evaluating a raft of measures including the adoption of retail programs, participation in Marketing and Promotions, adoption of Paint Club (Inspirations Paint’s loyalty program), store appearance, customer counts, retail and trade sales and overall business performance including profitability. There’s one winner from each of the four state/regions and one national winner. Inspirations Paint is proud to announce the finalist and winners for Franchise of the Year: NSW/ACT: WINNER Forster (Mid North Coast, NSW) FINALIST Warilla (South Coast, NSW) FINALIST Maroubra (Sydney, NSW) FINALIST East Maitland (Newcastle, NSW) QLD: WINNER Nerang (Gold Coast, QLD) FINALIST Hervey Bay (Wide Bay, QLD) FINALIST Oxenford (Gold Coast, QLD) WA/SA/NT: WINNER Mandurah (Perth, WA) FINALIST Parafield (Adelaide, SA) FINALIST St. Morris (Adelaide, SA) VIC/TAS: WINNER Moorabbin (Melbourne, VIC) FINALIST Launceston (Launceston, TAS) FINALIST Grovedale (Geelong, VIC)

Inspirations Paint is delighted to announce that Nerang (QLD) is the National winner for the Franchise of the Year Award, over two consecutive conferences.

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The Supplier of the Year Award is an opportunity to recognise and award suppliers across three key categories including Paint/Woodcare, Accessories/Equipment and Specialty. Winners are selected 100 percent by franchisees who complete a survey which scores the performance of each supplier against a raft of criteria including delivery, order accuracy, availability of stock, quality and customer and field representative support. There’s one winner from each of the three categories and one national winner. Inspirations Paint is pleased to announce the finalists and winners of Supplier of the Year: PAINT/WOODCARE: WINNER Cabot’s FINALIST Dulux Decorative FINALIST Sikkens ACCESSORIES/EQUIPMENT: WINNER Wagner FINALIST Uni-Pro FINALIST Selleys FINALIST Sequence SPECIALTY: WINNER Norglass FINALIST Rust-Oleum FINALIST Flood ACCESSORIES/EQUIPMENT: WINNER Wagner FINALIST Uni-Pro FINALIST Selleys FINALIST Sequence SPECIALTY: WINNER Norglass FINALIST Rust-Oleum FINALIST Flood Inspirations Paint is very happy to announce that Cabot’s is the overall National winner for the Supplier of the Year Award, taking out the award over two consecutive conferences, highlighting strong franchise satisfaction with the supplier.

Inspirations Paint was very pleased to have 27 suppliers sponsor for the 15th National Conference. Sponsorship ranged from Platinum to Bronze with the likes of Dulux,

Room shot from Berger Ball, the event for the Awards Night presentation

QLD Store of the Year Winner & Overall National Winner, Inspirations Paint NerangRobert Guy (Inspirations Paint CEO) Edith Usher (Inspirations Paint Nerang & Oxenford) Sharlene Knapp (Inspirations Paint Oxenford Owner) Paul Kelly (Inspirations Paint Nerang Trade Sales) Darcy Usher (Nerang & Oxenford Managing Director) Peter Trump (QLD Franchise Business Manager)

NSW/ACT Store of the Year Winner – Inspirations Paint Forster Peter Jex (Dulux Account Manager) Robert Guy (Inspirations Paint CEO) David Gillespie (NSW Nth Franchise Business Manager) Cabot’s and Selleys on board as Platinum sponsors. Both Platinum and Gold sponsors earned naming rights to events including the Dulux Welcome Dinner, Berger Ball, Graco Onsen Hot Pools activity, Rust-Oleum Golf activity, Sequence Gibbston Valley Wine Tour activity, Sikkens Bungy Jumping activity and the Selleys Shotover Jet and 4WD Safari tour.

In addition, Inspirations Paint hosts a Trade Show to give sponsors a concentrated opportunity to engage with and sell to franchisees, offering super special one night only deals. The Trade Show format is different to most, it’s held of an evening and is a themed event; this year’s Winter Wonderland theme was fitting with the Queenstown location. This year’s Trade Show had prizes to the value of $30,000, making it one of the biggest in the group’s history.

VIC/TAS Store of the Year Winner – Inspirations Paint Moorabbin Robert Guy (Inspirations Paint CEO) Paul Towers (VIC/TAS Franchise Business Manager, Inspirations Paint) Kris Galmaldi (Inspirations Paint Moorabbin Manager) John Mortimor (Inspirations Paint Moorabbin & Camberwell Owner) For more information please contact: Kathleen Ferguson Inspirations Paint Marketing (02) 4903 877

Inspirations Paint’s 16th National Conference will be held in Adelaide and the Barossa Valley in May 2017

2015 July Issue | 47

The Industry

Idiots

48 | Aussie Painters Network

Important Contacts Aussie Painters Network www.aussiepaintersnetwork.com.au Ph. 0430 399 800 National Institute for Painting and Decorating www.painters.edu.au Ph. 1300 319 790 Australian Tax Office www.ato.gov.au Ph. 13 72 26 / Ph. 13 28 65 Award Rates www.fairwork.gov.au Ph. 13 13 94 Fair Work Building & Construction www.fwbc.gov.au Ph. 1800 003 338 Mates In Construction www.matesinconstruction.com.au

Ph. 1300 642 111

Beyondblue www.beyondblue.org.au

Ph. 1300 224 636

Workplace Health and Safety Contacts Comcare WorkSafe ACT Workplace Health and Safety QLD Victorian WorkCover Authority WorkCover NSW SafeWork SA WorkSafe WA NT WorkSafe WorkSafe Tasmania

www.comcare.gov.au www.worksafe.act.gov.au www.worksafe.qld.gov.au www.vwa.vic.gov.au www.workcover.nsw.gov.au www.safework.sa.gov.au www.commerce.wa.gov.au/WorkSafe/ www.worksafe.nt.gov.au www.worksafe.tas.gov.au

1300 366 979 02 6207 3000 1300 362 128 1800 136 089 13 10 50 1300 365 255 1300 307 877 1800 019 115 1300 366 322

www.actcancer.org www.cancercouncil.com.au www.cancercouncilnt.com.au www.cancerqld.org.au www.cancersa.org.au www.cancervic.org.au www.cancerwa.asn.au

(02) 6257 9999 (02) 9334 1900 (08) 8927 4888 (07) 3634 5100 (08) 8291 4111 (03) 9635 5000 (08) 9212 4333

Cancer Council Australia ACT NSW NT QLD SA VIC WA

2015 July Issue | 49

OUR MEMBERSHIP Standard Membership • Five postcode listings in our online directory • Work, Health and Safety Plan • Risk Assessment and Safe Work Method Statements • Incident Investigation Forms and Incident Investigation Form Register • Instant access to our pricing and estimating guides • Quotation guide to assist you when quoting • Personal service and phone advice • Web Listing for prospective customers to find you easily • Free targeted online marketing & advertising • Back-links to assist you in SEO rankings • Assistance with Debt Collection and Discounted Terms of Trade • Discounts on Courses • Painter Help section if you are looking for work or looking for painters to help